Leg Guard Device

ABSTRACT

A leg guard device for ball players includes a plurality of plates, a first panel, and a second panel. The plates are hingedly interconnected and configured to position on a front of a lower leg of a user. The first panel and the second panel are coupled to and extend from a first edge and a second edge of the plurality of plates, respectively, and are configured to extend over a back of the lower leg. The second panel is resilient and thus configured to be stretched. A first coupler and a plurality of second couplers are coupled to the first panel and the second panel, respectively, distal from the plurality of plates. Each second coupler is positioned a respective distance from a perimeter of the second panel. The first coupler is positioned to selectively couple to a respective second coupler to couple the plurality of plates to the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention. (2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The disclosure and prior art relates to guard devices and more particularly pertains to a new guard device for ball players.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of plates, a first panel, and a second panel. The plates are hingedly interconnected and configured to position on a front of a lower leg of a user. The first panel and the second panel are coupled to and extend from a first edge and a second edge of the plurality of plates, respectively, and are configured to extend over a back of the lower leg. The second panel is resilient and thus configured to be stretched. A first coupler and a plurality of second couplers are coupled to the first panel and the second panel, respectively, distal from the plurality of plates. Each second coupler is positioned a respective distance from a perimeter of the second panel. The first coupler is positioned to selectively couple to a respective second coupler to couple the plurality of plates to the user.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a leg guard device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new guard device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the leg guard device 10 generally comprises a plurality of plates 12. The plates 12 are hingedly interconnected so that the plurality of plates 12 is configured to position on a front of a lower leg of a user.

A first panel 14 is coupled to and extends from a first edge 16 of the plurality of plates 12, as shown in FIG. 2. The first panel 14 extends from proximate to a top 18 to proximate to a bottom 20 of the plurality of plates 12. The first panel 14 is resilient so that the first panel 14 is configured to be stretched. The first panel 14 comprises elastic or the like.

A second panel 22 is coupled to and extends from a second edge 24 of the plurality of plates 12, as shown in FIG. 2. The first panel 14 and the second panel 22 are configured to extend over a back of the lower leg of the user, as shown in FIG. 6.

The second panel 22 is resilient so that the second panel 22 is configured to be stretched. The second panel 22 comprises elastic or the like. The second panel 22 extends from proximate to the top 18 to proximate to the bottom 20 of the plurality of plates 12. The second panel 22 is dimensionally narrower that the first panel 14 so that the second panel 22 and the first panel 14 meet on a side of the lower leg of the user, as shown in FIG. 6.

A first coupler 26 is coupled to the first panel 14 distal from the plurality of plates 12, as shown in FIG. 3. A plurality of second couplers 28 is coupled to the second panel 22 distal from the plurality of plates 12, as shown in FIG. 3. Each second coupler 28 is positioned a respective distance from a perimeter 30 of the second panel 22. The second couplers 28 are complementary to the first coupler 26 so that the first coupler 26 is positioned to selectively couple to a respective second coupler 28 to couple the plurality of plates 12 to the lower leg of the user. The user would couple the first coupler 26 to the respective second coupler 28 positioned at the respective distance from the perimeter 30 of the second panel 22 to obtain a comfortable fit.

The plurality of second couplers 28 comprises three second couplers 28. The second couplers 28 are positioned on an exterior face 32 of the second panel 22. The first coupler 26 and the respective second coupler 28 comprise a zipper 34. The first coupler 26 comprises a slider 36, a pull tab 38, a box 40, and a first set of teeth 42 of the zipper 34. Each second coupler 28 comprises a pin 44 and a second set of teeth 46 of the zipper 34.

In use, the plurality of plates 12 is positioned on the front of the lower leg of the user. The first panel 14 and the second panel 22 are extended over the back of the lower leg, positioning the first coupler 26 to selectively couple to the respective second coupler 28 to couple the plurality of plates 12 to the lower leg of the user.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A leg guard device comprising: a plurality of plates, said plates being hingedly interconnected wherein said plurality of plates is configured for positioning on a front of a lower leg of a user; a first panel coupled to and extending from a first edge of said plurality of plates; a second panel coupled to and extending from a second edge of said plurality of plates, wherein said first panel and said second panel are configured for extending over a back of the lower leg of the user, said second panel being resilient wherein said second panel is configured for stretching; a first coupler coupled to said first panel distal from said plurality of plates; and a plurality of second couplers coupled to said second panel distal from said plurality of plates, each said second coupler being positioned a respective distance from a perimeter of said second panel, said second couplers being complementary to said first coupler wherein said first coupler is positioned for selectively coupling to a respective said second coupler for coupling said plurality of plates to the lower leg of the user.
 2. The device of claim 1, further including said first panel being resilient wherein said first panel is configured for stretching.
 3. The device of claim 2, further including said first panel and said second panel comprising elastic.
 4. The device of claim 1, further including said first panel and said second panel extending from proximate to a top to proximate to a bottom of said plurality of plates.
 5. The device of claim 1, further including said second panel being dimensionally narrower that said first panel such that said second panel and said first panel meet on a side of the lower leg of the user.
 6. The device of claim 1, further including said plurality of second couplers comprising three said second couplers.
 7. The device of claim 1, further including said second couplers being positioned on an exterior face of said second panel.
 8. The device of claim 1, further including said first coupler and said respective said second coupler comprising a zipper.
 9. The device of claim 8, further comprising: said first coupler comprising a slider, a pull tab, a box, and a first set of teeth of said zipper; and each said second coupler comprising a pin and a second set of teeth of said zipper.
 10. A leg guard device comprising: a plurality of plates, said plates being hingedly interconnected wherein said plurality of plates is configured for positioning on a front of a lower leg of a user; a first panel coupled to and extending from a first edge of said plurality of plates, said first panel extending from proximate to a top to proximate to a bottom of said plurality of plates, said first panel being resilient wherein said first panel is configured for stretching, said first panel comprising elastic; a second panel coupled to and extending from a second edge of said plurality of plates, wherein said first panel and said second panel are configured for extending over a back of the lower leg of the user, said second panel being resilient wherein said second panel is configured for stretching, said second panel comprising elastic, said second panel extending from proximate to said top to proximate to said bottom of said plurality of plates, said second panel being dimensionally narrower that said first panel such that said second panel and said first panel meet on a side of the lower leg of the user; a first coupler coupled to said first panel distal from said plurality of plates; and a plurality of second couplers coupled to said second panel distal from said plurality of plates, each said second coupler being positioned a respective distance from a perimeter of said second panel, said second couplers being complementary to said first coupler wherein said first coupler is positioned for selectively coupling to a respective said second coupler for coupling said plurality of plates to the lower leg of the user, said plurality of second couplers comprising three said second couplers, said second couplers being positioned on an exterior face of said second panel, said first coupler and said respective said second coupler comprising a zipper, said first coupler comprising a slider, a pull tab, a box, and a first set of teeth of said zipper, each said second coupler comprising a pin and a second set of teeth of said zipper. 